In carrying ski equipment, particularly over the long distances from parking lot to ski lift, it is desirable to be able to tie the equipment together to form a compact bundle that can be carried in one hand by means of a handle. Conventional ties are only suitable for holding skis together, are bulky and awkward to use and, because of angular metal parts, are difficult and, indeed, dangerours to carry while skiing. In my prior application Ser. No. 500,422, I describe a tie which readily assembles to securely strap any size skis and poles together, which is rapidly released, and which is easily and safely carried about when not in use. The tie comprises an elongate, flexible tape having opposite free end segments which matingly engage adjacent portions of a central segment on the same tape side via coupling surfaces formed of interengagable filamentary loops and hooks. The free end segments are threaded through respective ones of a pair of eyes operable on the opposite tape side, are bent back, cinched tightly and coupled to the central segment to form a figure eight, the loops of which separately enclose the skis and poles.
Material formed with such loops or hooks is relatively costly. The present invention provides a tie which uses substantially less such material by extending the eyes by means of elongate lengths of bare strap material. In particular, the eyes are distally carried by strap material secured to the aforesaid opposite tape side.
A pair of ties can be used to secure the opposite ends of an assembly of a pair of skis and a pair of poles. When not in use, each tie can be simply wrapped around a ski pole and secured thereon by its own coupling surfaces, or safely carried unobtrusively in one's pocket. When the skis are stored, the ties can be used in single loop fashion to secure them together without affecting the camber of the skis. Prior art cited in prosecution of my prior application Ser. No. 500,422 is U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,486,672 to Esopi, 3,430,299 to Copen, 3,653,565 to McAusland and 3,307,872 to Murcott.